Ten Year Plan

E2SHB 2163: Homelessness Housing and Assistance Act,was passed by the Washington State legislature in 2005, with the intent to create a coordinated state plan that includes making more accurate counts of the homeless, creating additional housing and supportive services, addressing systemic, policy, and legal barriers to ending homelessness, and tracking outcomes of those who receive assistance. The State has set a goal to reduce homelessness by 50% by 2015. The bill’s start date was August 1, 2005.

Clallam County is participating in this statewide effort to eliminate homelessness. The Clallam County Homelessness Task Force was established by the county commissioners in December 2005. Thanks to considerable effort of the Shelter Providers Network, a ten-year plan was presented to this board and approved with limited revisions.

With an overall goal to reduce homelessness by 50% by 2015, the plan includes strategies to address needs of homeless families, chronically and non-chronically homeless individuals, and homeless youth. The priority is on providing adequate, accessible, and affordable housing for all, as well as supportive services that will help prevent future homelessness.

Other issues addressed in the plan are ensuring medical and dental care for all who need it, reducing barriers to getting into housing or receipt of other services, improving job skills, income and savings abilities, and adequate funding to provide these services. The plan calls for extensive data collection and review, to be certain that needs are being met and to measure progress of efforts.